Schubert: Symphony No. 6 in C major, D589

After their acclaimed recording of the complete Beethoven symphonies in a new musical guise, a highly-regarded cycle of Richard Strauss's tone poems, the complete Mahler symphonies and a number of other musical projects with which they attracted widespread attention, David Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich now devote themselves to the symphonies of Franz Schubert. We began with 2 volumes – one containing Symphonies 1&2, and the second containing the 7th Symphony, followed by the brand new recording of Symphonies 3 & 4, released in July 2012. This new volume contains Symphonies 5 & 6, released in December 2012.

David Zinman says:

Schubert has always been a deep love of mine from the time I was a young violinist. I remember playing the Sonatina for violin and piano at one of my first public recitals. One of the first orchestral scores that I bought was the «Unfinished».

There is, within the symphonies, so much music I wouldn’t want to be without; a wonderful melodic and harmonic treasure trove that is memorable and irreplaceable, and which influenced generations of composers who came after him.

I am very much looking forward to recording these works, performing them in a way which will take into consideration both his influences and his innovations.

Between 1976 and 1978, Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra made recordings of the complete Schubert symphonies for Decca, as well as some of the incidental music for Rosamunde. Other than the Schumann symphonies, it was the only symphony cycle this tremendous Decca artist made for the label. The recordings were all made in the Mann Auditorium and were all produced by Ray Minshull, who, together with John Culshaw and Christopher Raeburn, worked extensively with Mehta during his exclusive Decca years. 29 April 2011 marks the 75th birthday of Zubin Mehta and this cycle is being issued as a homage to this great musician in his birthday year. In addition to the Rosamunde incidental music, Volume 2 contains the breezy Fifth symphony as well as the two C major works – Nos. 6 and 9, ‘Little’ and ‘Great’.

Born in Vienna in April 1902, the cheery-looking Josef Krips seems to have been pre-destined to achieve eminence in the Viennese classics. He recorded with both, the Wiener Philharmoniker and the key London orchestras for Decca in the 1940s, 50s and 60s and the interpretations have genuine expressive power while remaining devoid of exaggeration or affectation.

What could be more enjoyable than spending an hour or two in the company of Haydn, Schubert and Mendelssohn in their sunniest moods, especially when our guide is the amiably expert Viennese conductor Josef Krips? The recordings here take in two London orchestras as well as the Vienna Philharmonic and span nearly ten years (1948-1957). They are especially notable for bringing together all of Krips’s Haydn recordings for Decca. The notes for this issue are by Tully Potter and it forms part of a series of five reissues devoted to the art of Josef Krips.

Recording producers: Erik Smith (Haydn Nos. 94, 99); Victor Olof (Haydn Nos. 92, 104, Schubert, Mendelssohn)

Recording engineers: James Brown (Haydn Nos. 94, No. 99); Kenneth Wilkinson (Haydn Nos. 92, 104, Schubert, Mendelssohn)

Recording locations: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, April 1948 (Schubert), April 1949 (Haydn No. 104), May 1953 (Haydn No. 92), October 1953 (Mendelssohn); Sofiensaal, Vienna, Austria, September 1957 (Haydn Nos. 94, 99)

Sir Roger Norrington's approach to adapting historical performance practice for a modern symphony orchestra fruitful has generated some excellent results. His recordings of the Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 (hänssler Classic / SWR music 93288) were the beginning of Norrington’s recorded investigation of the pre-romantic Schubert. His 8th Symphony, the "Unfinished", is undoubtedly his most popular symphony, and among his most popular works, and an essential work of the standard repertory.

PentaTone continue their collaboration with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic and Herreweghe.

Internationally celebrated conductor Thomas Zehetmair, Music Director of Northern Sinfonia, presents the world-premiere recording of Hans Gál’s Symphony No. 1, a bold and approachable orchestral statement, alongside Schubert’s Symphony No. 6. The first of two recordings pairing the composers, the release showcases two ends of a great melodic tradition, presenting Gál’s music alongside 19th-century symphonic repertoire that represents its roots and core values.

Gál’s Symphony No.1 was not in fact his first - an earlier symphony had won the Austrian State prize in 1915, but it was later discarded, as was another. Gál finally considered this work, which won a Columbia Schubert Centenary Prize in 1928, to be his symphonic debut. The music speaks through its bold and persuasive conception and uninhibited climaxes, reflecting the composer’s sense of truly having found his own voice. The writing is virtuosic and the orchestration colorful.

Featuring Northern Sinfonia in their spectacular venue Hall One of The Sage Gateshead, these recordings underscore Zehetmair’s hallmark electrifying intensity, precision and vision. This release continues Avie’s ongoing celebration of the music of Hans Gál, following highly acclaimed releases of the complete works for solo piano by Leon McCawley (AV0064), chamber works for Violin and Piano featuring Annette-Barbara Vogel (AV2182), and concertante works for violin and orchestra, also with Vogel, and Kenneth Woods conducting Northern Sinfonia (AV2146).